"Annabitch. Annabitch. Say it with me!" Piper ordered as her voice rang throughout the car. Percy hid his smile as he focused on the road. They were close to his mother's house, and he had volunteered to pick Annabeth up after her car gave her trouble.
"I can just hang up," Annabeth threatened as she rolled her eyes. Her phone had automatically connected to the bluetooth in Percy's car. They used to ride to work together all the time, and Percy would let Annabeth pick the music. He loved when she got really into a song and started singing along.
"Both hands on the wheel. Of all people, you should know that," Piper said.
"She's not driving," Percy replied. A gasp left Piper.
"That lazy bitch is making you drive?" Piper demanded.
"Don't you mean that lazy Annabitch?" Percy teased. He stopped at the red light, and Annabeth slapped his arm. He laughed. "Her car is acting up again."
"You really need to get a new car," Piper stated. She sighed dramatically. "I can't believe I'm here. All alone. By myself."
"Piper, you literally made the schedule," Annabeth called out. Piper scoffed. "You did this to yourself."
"Because I didn't know we were having dinner at Sally's! No one told me. Why didn't you tell me, Percy?" Piper demanded.
"Didn't you make the schedule two weeks ahead?" Percy asked.
"Didn't you make the schedule two weeks ahead?" Piper mocked. Percy pulled his car on the side of the road and turned his head to grin at Annabeth. She grinned back.
"You know. I don't think we should save any of that vegetarian lasagna for her," Annabeth began.
"I think you're right," Percy agreed.
"Wait!" Piper almost yelled. "Let's not be so rash. I would love some leftovers."
"What is it worth to you?" Percy asked.
"I would cheat on Jason in a heartbeat," Piper auctioned. "I'll give you all of the money in the store. Hell, I'll give you the deed to the building. Do you need someone dead? Because I can kill them!"
Percy laughed and smiled at his phone. He spoke, "I asked my mom to make you a batch of lasagna that we're going to bring to you after dinner."
"I'll kiss both of you," Piper promised. Percy chuckled, and Annabeth let out a laugh.
"We have to go. I'll text you before we drop it off," Annabeth promised.
"Thank you," Piper said. Percy could hear the grin on her face and knew that they had made her week.
"Anytime Piper," Percy promised. Annabeth hung up her phone, and Percy looked at her. She was focused on her phone, probably reading over a notification. "Ready to go inside?"
"I am," Annabeth answered. She got out of the car. Percy followed behind and locked his car. He saw that Grover and Juniper were already there. The two were like family, so his mother already had them inside. They were probably helping set the table too.
The sound of a motorcycle caused Percy to turn his head. His smile grew as he saw Thalia pull up behind his car. She turned off her motorcycle and slowly took off her helmet. Thalia stood from her motorcycle and waved.
"Did you survive having to work on your day off?" Annabeth teased. Thalia flipped her off. Percy grinned, but he kept his gaze on Thalia. Something had happened with Thalia and Reyna. He didn't know if the two had gotten into an argument or what, but the vibe between the two was off.
"Am I here?" Thalia asked. Her tone wasn't as playful as it normally was. Annabeth seemed to pick up on it too as she frowned. "What?"
"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Annabeth questioned. Thalia sighed and rubbed her forehead. "You're not this mad just because you had to work on your day off."
"I had a run-in with Reyna's mom, okay? I got to see what a piece of shit she is firsthand," Thalia grumbled. Percy frowned. An understanding look came to Thalia's face.
"How close were you to strangling her mom?" Annabeth questioned, and there was no joking in her tone. They both knew that Thalia could be a bit ill-tempered, and if Reyna's mom was abusive like Percy thought she was, he could see why Thalia was so tense.
"I still wish I had," Thalia grumbled. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Everything feels so weird between us now. She hasn't said a word to me since her mother slapped her across the face. Then, there was the whole asking Annabeth out thing."
"The what now?" Percy asked, because he was pretty sure that he had heard Thalia wrong. It sounded like she just said that Reyna asked Annabeth out. But, no. That could not be true. Why would she ask Annabeth out?
Thalia seemed to realize what she had said, and her eyes widened. Annabeth looked at Percy and spoke, "I was going to tell you, but I was worried that you would check on Reyna and accidentally make things all awkward between the two of you."
"She... asked you out. Like on a date?" Percy questioned. He blinked a few times as it felt like his brain was trying to reboot itself.
"Yeah. I told her I wasn't into women," Annabeth answered. A blush came to her face. Percy nodded and felt his gut twisting. He felt angry. Not at Reyna. Because who could resist Annabeth Chase? Percy was angry at himself because he almost lost out on dating Annabeth. Once again.
Percy wanted to give Annabeth time and space to get over her breakup, but it seemed like other people weren't going to do that. His teeth gritted as he knew that he was only making excuses for himself. What if Annabeth had said yes? Would he just stand in the background and watch them date? Hate himself and show up to a store that reminded him of his failures? Would he leave his job again and shut his best friend out?
"Percy, is something wrong?" Annabeth asked. Percy slowly looked at her and realized the anger had revealed itself on his face. Thalia watched them and seemed frozen. Percy tried to think of an answer, but thankfully, a car pulled up behind Thalia's motorcycle.
"Nico!" Thalia called with a wave. Percy forced a smile onto his face as Nico got out of the passenger's seat. Reyna got out of the driver's seat a moment later. "How's my favorite cousin!?"
"Just show me the food," Nico ordered as he walked towards them. His face was an odd shade of red, and it sounded like he was out of breath. His face was flush, and Percy found himself a little concerned for his cousin.
"Are you sick or something?" Thalia questioned. "Because I am not getting sick again. Last time you got me sick I was in bed for a week!"
"We just went for a jog before coming here," Reyna answered. She was wearing blue jeans and a black blouse. In contrast, Percy was sure his shirt had a stain, and Thalia's had a few holes in the back. He was going to feel underdressed in his own house, but the more important thing was what Reyna had just said.
"You went for a jog?" Thalia asked.
"You exercised?" Percy added.
"Will made you do it," Annabeth guessed.
"Shut up," Nico grumbled. Reyna smirked. "Don't give me that look! No one can resist Aurum when he pulls out those puppy eyes."
"Trust me, I know. You never stop giving them treats," Reyna retorted. She looked at them. Percy could see the bruise on her face, almost hidden by her makeup. Considering Percy had helped Thalia cover up her fair share of bruises with blush, he knew what signs to look for.
"Will was worried that I don't get enough exercise," Nico muttered.
"Or any," Thalia added as she tried to disguise it with a cough.
"Give me your keys, so I can run her motorcycle over," Nico pleaded as he turned to Reyna.
"I like her motorcycle too much to let you," Reyna rejected. She seemed to be studying Thalia, but Thalia was not meeting her gaze. Percy wanted to slap her in the back of the head for not looking Reyna in the eyes.
Nico groaned and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He started to walk towards the front door. Reyna kept her gaze on Thalia as she spoke, "Speaking of motorcycles, do you still want to ride with me? I think that will be a good idea."
Thalia just shrugged and looked away. She followed after Nico. Percy looked at Reyna and spoke, "I'm glad you came."
"Yeah," Reyna said as her gaze stay on Thalia. Percy chased after his cousin and kept pace with her. Thalia wouldn't look at him either. The two made their way inside with Annabeth and Reyna trailing.
"I'm home, mom!" Percy called. "I brought some friends."
Percy heard the heavy thundering of footsteps. He tried to brace himself as a heavy weight slammed into him and knocked him into Thalia. Both hit the ground as Mrs. O'Leary drooled all over them. She licked both of them at the same time.
"Who is a good girl," Nico cooed as he stood next to Mrs. O'Leary and scratched under her chin. The mastiff lost interest in Percy and turned towards her favorite person in the world. Nico pulled her into a hug and was wrestled to the ground as the two cuddled.
Reyna helped Percy stand and offered a hand to Thalia, who promptly ignored the hand and stood on her own. A frown crossed Reyna's face before she returned to neutral. Percy heard more running and turned to catch his little sister as she launched herself into his arms.
"Hey, Estelle. How was school?" Percy asked as he stood and carried Estelle. She looked at him before looking at all of the newcomers.
"Boring," Estelle answered. "Mark stole my crayons."
"Did you tell your teacher?" Percy asked as he sat Estelle back down. He gently ruffled her hair and only smiled as she complained. "Do you remember Annabeth and Thalia?"
Estelle nodded, but her attention moved to Nico. She pulled away from Percy and hurried to Nico's side. As she seemed to notice Reyna, she buried her face in Nico's knees.
"You don't have to be scared," Nico said as he carefully picked Estelle up. "That's my best friend, Reyna. She is so much cooler than your brother."
"Really?" Estelle asked as she slowly looked up. Reyna smiled as she looked at Estelle.
"It's nice to meet you," Reyna said gently. Estelle hid her face again.
"She's shy," Percy informed as he looked at Reyna. "Her name is Estelle. I also think she is going to be attached to Nico all night."
"Because she knows a good influence when she sees one," Annabeth teased.
"I'm not a good influence," Nico grumbled.
"He's really not," Thalia agreed.
"He is a very good one," a voice corrected. Percy turned to look at his mother. A huge smile came to his face as she pulled him into a hug. Sally smelled like her lasagna and even pie, as the two had been cooking all day. Percy had the day off and came in to help her.
"I'll get her seated. It's nice to see you again, Sally," Nico greeted. Sally ruffled his hair as he walked past, and Percy knew she was one of the only people alive who could get away with that. Sally pulled Annabeth into a tight hug and whispered in her ear for a moment. When they pulled away, they were both smiling.
"My second mom," Thalia joked as she received her own hug from Sally. "I've been doing my best to keep Percy out of trouble at work."
"Or, are you the one getting him in trouble?" Sally teased. Thalia winked at her. Sally turned towards Reyna and smiled. "You must be Reyna. Percy has told me plenty of good things about you."
"It's nice to meet you," Reyna said as she held out a hand. Sally gently shook it. "It's a nice place you have here."
"Thank you," Sally said. "Can I get you anything to drink?"
"Percy," Annabeth said softly. Percy jumped and turned towards her. She studied him for a few moments but didn't say anything.
"Yeah?" Percy asked. He glanced behind him and saw that Sally and Reyna were talking. Mrs. O'Leary was also circling Reyna's legs. He had brought Mrs. O'Leary over earlier that morning because Estelle absolutely loved her, and the feeling was mutual.
"You seemed upset when I said that Reyna asked me out," Annabeth pointed out as she gently led Percy towards the kitchen. "Why?"
Percy tried to think of a good reason as they stopped at the kitchen. There were about five different pans of lasagna spread about. There was also a pan of garlic bread and a large bowl of salad. Everything looked delicious, and his stomach growled.
"I just felt like it was too soon," Percy began. "You and Luke broke up not too long ago, and I didn't know if you were ready to date yet."
"You're too sweet," Annabeth said as she smiled at him. She hugged Percy. His eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly hugged her back. "I guess it was a little too soon, but I was more shocked than anything. Poor Reyna looked mortified."
"You just have everyone pining after you," Thalia commented as she walked by. She gave Percy a knowing look. Thalia was close to losing her lasagna privileges.
"Percy," Grover greeted as he grabbed Percy from behind and pulled him into a hug. Percy laughed and leaned against Grover.
"G-Man," Percy greeted. "Are you behind him, Juniper? How are you?"
"I'm good, Percy. Thanks for inviting us," Juniper said as she walked around and smiled at him. Reyna and Sally stepped into the kitchen.
"This is Grover and Juniper," Annabeth introduced as she looked at Reyna. "And this is Reyna: the other assistant manager at Percy's store."
"It's a pleasure," Reyna returned as she smiled at them. The smile was lost as she moved her gaze to Thalia. It looked like Reyna was relaxed in terms of meeting everyone, but there was definitely something off.
"Don't try to corrupt her," Nico warned as he walked into the kitchen. He looked at Sally. "Do you need help with anything?"
"Everything is already made," Sally answered. "The two vegetarian lasagnas are on the right of the stove. There is one with red sauce and one with white sauce. I have Piper's lasagna in the fridge, but tell her that I want her to visit sometime next week."
"We'll make her," Annabeth promised. Sally smiled and grabbed plates. She handed the plates off to everyone.
"Help yourself to anything in the fridge," Sally said. "There is water, soda, milk, juice, and alcohol."
"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson," Grover said.
"Thanks mom," Thalia remarked with a slightly teasing tone. Someone moved next to Percy. He turned his head to look at Reyna.
"Did I do something to Thalia? She hasn't been talking to me," Reyna asked softly. Percy glanced at Thalia, who was wrapped up in a conversation with Grover and Juniper.
"I don't know," Percy admitted honestly. He looked back at Reyna. "She hasn't said anything to me. I'll try to talk to her."
"No. It's probably nothing," Reyna declined. She sighed and looked down. "Did she tell you about my mother?"
"No," Percy lied instantly. Reyna looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Okay. She did."
"I figured that you two tell each other everything," Reyna said with a shrug.
"Don't be mad at Thalia for telling me," Percy began.
"You two are like siblings. You're going to talk," Reyna stated. She sighed. "Just don't tell anyone else, please. I don't need any kind of rumors to get out."
Percy nodded. If he spoke, he would say something that he regretted. Reyna looked away again and crossed her arms. Percy finally spoke, "I won't. I promise. Don't beat yourself up. Crap. Wrong choice of words."
A small smile came to Reyna's face, "It's okay. I've made a few jokes about it. That's all I can do, really."
"If you need something," Percy offered. Reyna nodded. "Thalia just needs time. She gets in these moods when she's mad about something."
Reyna frowned and seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments. Nico moved towards them and held out a plate that was full of lasagna and bread. In his other hand was a plate of salad. Nico spoke, "Both of the plates are yours. Eat both of them. Or else."
"Alright," Reyna relented as she took the plates. She studied Percy for a moment before turning and walked towards the table. Nico looked at Percy.
"I'm going to beat some common sense into Thalia," Nico stated. Percy sighed and watched Thalia grabbing a plate of food. There was a scowl on her face as she thought no one was watching her. "Why does she have to be like this?"
"It's just how she is," Percy said. Nico shook his head.
"Yeah. Well, Thalia is an idiot," Nico said with more venom than Percy expected. "I'm tired of her running around and having this stupid crush. If she is going to be like this with just asking Reyna out, how the hell is she going to handle an actual relationship? I am not going to watch my best friend have her heart broken right after she put it out there."
"That already happened with Annabeth," Thalia hissed as she appeared next to them. Her hand gripped her plate tightly. "News flash asshole: the kitchen isn't that big! I can hear you!"
Nico glared at Thalia, and Thalia glared back. Percy stepped between them, "Stop this! Now! We're trying to have a nice dinner, and my mom worked too hard for you two to have an argument and ruin it. Just ice it. Now."
"Whatever," Thalia said as she took a step back and grabbed a piece of bread. Nico shook his head and grabbed a plate to get some food. Percy let out a breath and turned towards the fridge. He almost jumped as he saw Estelle standing by it.
"Hey, Estelle. Do you want juice?" Percy asked. Estelle nodded. Percy opened the fridge and grabbed a cup, pouring juice for his sister. Then, he grabbed himself a drink and made a plate. By the time he made it into the dining room, everyone was seated.
Sally was sitting next to Paul. Percy smiled at his step father and took a seat next to Annabeth. To his right was Nico, and Estelle sat on his lap. Reyna sat next to Nico, and a few other chairs were pulled up for the rest of them. Thalia was sitting in the perfect spot, so she didn't have to look at Reyna.
Percy focused down on his food and tried to relax. Friends fought all the time, and family fought even more. Thalia would get over her anger, and Nico would probably apologize for what he said. For now, all he had to do was enjoy dinner.
"Mommy," Estelle said suddenly.
"What is it, sweetie?" Sally asked. Estelle looked at Percy and then back at their mother.
"What is an asshole?"